Welcome back, quinnfyre!

For me it would have to be lacunosa. I bought it at Lowe's back in June and it was in bloom! I love it's fragrance and it is the only hoya I have aquired that has/had blooms. It hasn't bloomed in months but hopefully it will once spring rolls around. Pubicalyx Pink Silver is another one I got this year and it's become a favorite of mine.
It hasn't bloomed but I love the leaves!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

For me its Sigillatis and Sp. square. I absolutely love the leaves on both of these. The leaves are very interesting and unique and definitely my all time favorites.

Mine was when Archiboldiania bloomed those huge cup shaped flowers....What a show stopper! And this hoya has grown like crazy for me this past year. I have the white w/red center and would love to trade for a cutting of the red one wink,wink.

Sigillatis would be first for the leaves followed by caudata and mitrata. It's just not possible to name a single favorite when so many have unique leaves, flowers or gasp......both!

Yeah, I would never try to pick an all time favorite. I would keep changing my mind. But a favorite of the year was easy for me, at least for this past year. Who knows about this year? Probably whichever one actually blooms for me, if that happens this year. I've never really seen a hoya bloom in person, except for a Hindu Rope at Longwood Gardens last year. But I've only been growing hoyas myself for a little over a year, and all of them have been cuttings or starter plants, so I guess I haven't really been expecting to see blooms any time soon.

I too love lacunosa. I would love to see and smell its blooms sometime. I like it so much, I have three: speckled lacunosa (is this Snow Caps?), regular lacunosa, and Royal Flush.

Sigillatis is quite pretty! Too bad I don't really have any more room. Well, actually I do, but that is because my cuttings are still small. I'm trying to plan for when they get to be grown up plants. It's gonna be tight... and I still have some on my wish list! Argh.

I think I still have to stick with the plain green macrophylla, and fungii is a close second. Both common Hoyas, but they both (even after all these years) make my eyes feel good.

Denise in Omaha

Your macrophylla is gorgeous, Denise. I am tempted to get one every time you post a pic of yours. But is it really common? I never see anyone offering it, only the variegated one, which I'm very fond of but is not quite the same, somehow. Variegated macrophylla seems to have more elongated leaves.

Ok, off to a really long day at work : (

Quinn,

Well, it's not as common as the variegated one. I think it's kind of like carnosa - back in the day, you could find plain old green carnosa everywhere for sale. Then came the variegates and after awhile, you could only find carnosa when trading. I can't remember the last time I saw a plain carnosa for sale anywhere, though I do see it once in awhile on eBay... But I have seen both forms of green macrophylla on Bob Smoley's website - he stipulates one of them has wider leaves than the other. Bob's plants are very nice, but you do have to be patient when you order from him. You can always count on getting your money's worth, though!

Denise in Omaha

I've been wanting Macrophylla variegate for a long time. Hard to say favorites, but I've always loved the classic, cupped-leaf KP & Lacunosa w/ the little dents in the leaves. I'm going to try & find these come Spring, Caudata too, I like funky leaves.

My favorite from last year,the year before and the year before and so on, was, and still is hoya lambii!!! It's probably my all time favorite hoya and is most likely the one I would hold onto if I had to give up my entire collection and keep just one. There's no other hoya like it as far as foliage goes and the flowers speak for themselves!!! Though they only last 24 hours they are breathtaking and their fragrance unforgettable!!! It's like a combination of vanilla and spices,they really smell good enough to eat!!

Well... my favorite is Mathilde - even thought my small plant lost almost all of its leaves - (I have it in my aquarium - recovering - its finally just starting to put out new leaves) I guess I just like the look of the tiny leaved plants. Besides that I my second favorite has to be lacunosa - and now that you guys explained to me the proper way of watering - it seems to be doing better too - putting out lots of new leaves. (again Thanks you guys for all your help)

I think that my favorite hoya from this past year is Hoya villosa (Hoya globulosa). I purchased this plant off of eBay from FatPlant2020. Second favorite would be Hoya sp. Borneo Gunung Gading (a new collection of the species Hoya callistophylla, also purchased from FatPlant2020.)

I may never get Hoya villosa to bloom, but the leaves are why I purchased this plant. Longish, narrow leaves with a wavy/rippled leaf edge and a felted leaf back. There are also prominent dark veins that show on the leaf surface. Puglvr1 posted a photo of her H. villosa in one of the threads here and that is what made me lust after this plant so much.

I grew H. globulosa years ago and it was not this same plant. The leaves were much wider and more blunt without the prominent veining. I never got that plant to bloom either. (:o(
Mike

Mike (Mn)...sheesh, why didn't you tell me you bought the H. borneo gunung gading??? I got mine earlier than you did...mine was $76...how much did you pay, if you don't mine my asking? Don't you love the looks of this plant? It's really quite spectacular, and I love the feel of the leaves...almost like cards...and the markings are nicer than the other callistophyllas. Has yours been showing alot of growth? Fondly, Patrick

Hi Patrick,
I paid $76.76 for the Hoya sp. Borneo Gunung Gading.

There was another plant that was sold on 11-1-09 that sold for only 36.00. I guess I should have waited and I could have saved a lot of money, but I'm sure the cold temps had something to do with fewer bidders and the lower bids that late in the fall! (:o) I never even thought to ask about buying a cutting from you.

Yes, I love the leaves on this plant and it is definitely a new/different collection of Hoya callistophylla than the others in circulation. The veins are much more prominent/significant on H. Gunung Gading than they are on the other 3 H. callistophylla plants I have (purchased from David Liddle, in Australia, and dmichael). The leaves are also much thinner and more glossy than the other H. callistophyllas I have.

No, my plant has hardly grown at all. It looks great so I am not worried. Once spring gets here I will repot it and then put the plant outside and I am hoping the plant will take off.
Take care,
Mike

Mike(MN) Callistopylla is on my wish list this spring...Mind posting a picture of your Borneo GG? Sure would love to see it. Thanks!!

Mike,looks like you and I paid the same price....yeah, waiting would have saved us money...but, we DID save money compared to those folks who paid $119 for theirs earlier in the summer!! My gunung gading has vines coming out everywhere with small leaves...I think it's going to be a "real" grower, unlike some of my hoyas that don't appear to have increased at all! LOL Puglvr...gunung gading is one of the plants that comprise the callistophylla complex...but, it's much nicer as the leaves always look clean and shiny...whereas my callistophylla's leaves look good only when they're wet. Other than that, it'd be a hard choice choosing between them....H. callistophylla's leaves are alot larger than gunung gading. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to shine hoya leaves...so that they always look shiny? Perhaps I'll try Neem oil? On the C&S forum it was suggested to use banana peels or used teabags...but, another member said that wouldn't work any better than water and a cloth. I've used water and cloth...looks great until the water dries. Thanks! Patrick

Hi Patrick,
Try mixing a little skim milk and water 50/50 and wipe that on the surface of each leaf. I seem to remember reading that this combination would add a shine to plant leaves.

The leaves on my H. sp. Borneo Gunung Gading are about the same size as my other H. callistophylla clones. The leaves on Gunung Gading are the best of all the H. callistophyllas, though.
Mike

It's hard to pick a favorite, but I LOVE Hoya bella 'Luis Bois'! The foliage is so pretty and it flowers fairly well! Also love elliptica and Australis 'Lisa' for the foliage!

Kelly

Pug,
Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore your post. I'll take a photo of my Gunung Gading and post it tonight or tomorrow night. It will depend on how much free time I have tonight.
Thanks,
Mike

No problem Mike...NO rush. Looking forward to it. Thanks!

Patrick, I also read milk can shine leaves. I've used straight 2%(which is what I drink). It works but it doesn't last long. The neem and a drop of ivory works well also and doesn't harm the plants.

Kelly, I agree with your choice of Australis 'Lisa" for the leaves...def. on my wishlist.

Nancy-
I have found Australis Lisa to be a slow grower, but I love that there's little distance between the nodes- no leggy parts at all! I don't know if that's typical for it or not, but it's just another reason for me to love mine!
Kelly

I'm so surprised to hear that you folks put shine stuff on yours Hoyas -- yikes. I'd be afraid to spoil them, especially such very expensive plants. Besides, are they supposed to be shiny? In 8+ yrs. of dabbling w/ Hoyas it never even occurred to me. Guess that's what makes a horse race ...

Kelly, you're right...there are no internodes on my aus.lisa either...hope it stays this way!....it's like a nice-sized rosette. Karen...so many hoyas have nice shiny leaves...and then there are those that look so dull...especially those with the remarkable venations...the leaves look so dull, but are brilliantly beautiful when wet...it'd be nice to have them always look that way. I wonder why some hoyas have such shiny leaves and others have dull-looking ones. Some of the hoyas, expecially the callistophyllas tend to have leaves that actually look dirty and dull....when washed they look magnificent...but, as soon as the leaves are dry, they look dull again. I'm just wondering if there's something natural that can be sprayed onto the leaves to make them look as gorgeous as they're capable of looking. I'd also try it on the finlaysonii complex...though their leaves aren't as "ugly" as those in the callistophylla complex. I wouldn't use anything that would harm the plants...just enhance their beauty. Sorry, the word "ugly" really isn't the case...they just lack the sheen seen on most hoyas. Do you know what I'm trying to say...I know I can be so dense in trying to explain myself! Best wishes, Patrick

Thanks Kelly! Slow growing sounds pretty good to me right about now. I think I'm ready for a few "slow growers" since space is starting to be a big factor. I like the sound of the growth habit too. The more I hear about this hoya the more I def. need one,lol...

I understand what you're trying to say Patrick. There are some hoya leaves that looks so much nicer when the leaves are clean and shiny. Like you as long as I use something natural(that won't harm the plants) like milk or neem/soap mixture. Its just nice to use it on the special occasions when you want to pretty up the leaves.

Pug,
I have not forgotten about you! It's been so cloudy lately that I cannot get a good photo of H. Borneo Gunung Gading. Hopefully, we will have a sunny day soon so I can get a good photo.
Mike

No problem Mike...I knew you wouldn't forget :o)
Take your time. Thanks!!

Hey Quinn..how have you been? Great thread.

I can't pick one..lol..I'd say, H. Sig and H. Caudata.
My Sig didn't make it..boo hoo..

This year I'm working on H. Square and another H. Sig if I can find it..
Then there is the famous, H. Mac 'Pot of Gold' sold at Asiatica; if only they reduced the price..

For those who use leaf shines..Please be careful. Toni

Diluted neem seems to be a good leaf shine that is natural. Undiluted neem appears to work wonders... until it dries and gets sticky. It still looks good for a little while, but then the dust starts to stick to it, eww. So, from experience, make yourself a neem solution. I think there are directions for mixing up a batch on the bottle. I was just trying to skip steps because I never need a full batch of neem, and hate wasting anything. Whoops.

Seems to be a common theme, multiple people are listing sigillatis and caudata. Does anyone have any good full plant pics of theirs? By full plant, I don't mean a bushy/full plant, rather, a pic of the whole plant. I'm just curious as to scale; it's hard to tell how big anything is when you're getting a closeup. So far the pics I've been seeing remind me of curtisii, but I don't think they're similar size wise.

Quinnfyre, here's a couple of mine, they are small plants but the quarter is there for size reference. Hope this helps you get a better idea of size.
H.caudata...3.5" clay pot
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H. sigillatis...4" clay pot
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Caudata is really interesting looking. Does it have that same sandpapery texture to the leaves that curtisii does? Leaves are definitely much bigger though; curtisii's leaves are a fair amount smaller than a quarter. Sigillatis is adorable. It looks like my scilla (or ledebouria), but in hoya form. Rats, it may look like I have another to add to my wish list : ) It seems like it has compact enough growth that I can fit it in to my collection.

Thanks for the pics!

No problem Quinn, my caudata leaves remind me of cardboard, very stiff...very cool. I had a small curtisii but it never grew and I ended up trading it. My sigillatis I would consider a compact grower, one of the reasons I really this one besides the pretty leaves is the growth habit, its not one that will get out of hand like the Pubicalyx varities.